This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
1. A Combined Report of People's Tribunal on the Atrocities
Committed Against the Minorities In The Name of Fighting Terrorism
22-24 August 2008 at Hyderabad & National Meet on the Status of
Muslims in Contemporary India Delhi 3 to 5 Oct 2009
2. A Combined Report of Peoples Tribunal on the Atrocities
Committed Against Minority In The Name of Fighting Terrorism 22-24
August 2008 at Hyderabad & National Meet on the Status of
Muslims in Contemporary India Delhi 3 to 5 Oct 2009 Anhad 2011 ISBN
: 978-81-88833-28-3 Edited by : Shabnam Hashmi Compilation &
Transcription Seema Duhan Niharika Yadav Anjali Thomas Price Rs. :
200/- 23, Canning Lane New Delhi-110 001 Tel. : 23070722, 23070740
E-mail : [email protected] Printed at : Pullshoppe, 9810213737
[email protected] The tribunals were organised in collaboration
with Human Rights Law Network and Siasat, Hyderabad
3. 1. NotefromtheEditor 5 2. Foreword 7 3. JuryFindings1and2 11
4. Testimonies 21 5. Articles&Presentations 155 6.
Observationsby JuryMembers 197 7. Index 217 C o n t e n t
4. Last decade (2000-2010) saw multiple acts of terror in
different parts of India. These attacks were scattered in different
parts of India and killed many innocent people. The attack on
Parliament, blast near Army camp in Jammu, terror episode at
Akshardham, Mumbai trains and Sankatmochan temple are the few
amongst the many terror acts which took place. Along with loss of
many an innocent lives, the social atmosphere was vitiated. These
blasts intimidated the society as a whole and created an atmosphere
of fear all around. During this period, on the heels of World Trade
Center attack the word Islamic terrorism was coined and in India
this word was further manipulated to
highlydubiousandwrongpropagandalinethat'AllTerroristsareMuslims.'
India had witnessed massive anti Muslim violence from the decade of
1980s, culminating in the post-demolition anti Muslim violence and
the Gujarat violence of 2002. The loss of property and lives of
Muslim community was abysmal. The lives lost of the community were
more than 80% of the total victims, the victims were not
rehabilitated by the state, no adequate compensation and no justice
was meted out to most of the victims. The Muslim community started
feeling dejected to a
greatextentwiththeviolenceandtheconsequentharassment,leadingtothesenseofinsecurity.
In this background in most cases, after the blasts many a Muslim
youth were arrested on the charges of being involved in the act of
terror, being in league with the Pakistan terror groups. The
investigation authorities recklessly arrested Muslim youth after
every act of terror. Young Muslim boys and men were subjected to
torture, encountered and remained in police custody for months.
Meanwhile from April 2006, the death of two Bajrang Dal men, while
they were making bombs, came to light in Nanded, Maharashtra. This
was followed by a series of terror attacks in Parbhani, Aurangabad,
Jalna, Panvel etc. in these cases the involvement of Hindutva
groups was apparent to a great deal. Still the investigating
agencies kept working with the same assumption that Muslims
werebehindallterrorattacks. The twin fact of being victims of
communal violence and later the victim of police investigation, a
senseofdespairstartedgrippingtheMuslimcommunity.Therewashardlyanyevidenceneededand
police investigation was based on the flight of their imagination
around the understanding that if there is an act of terror, the
Muslims have to be involved. The despair amongst the Muslim
community became much worse after the realization that while the
terror acts where the Muslim congregations are attacked or bombs
are planted in the Muslim majority area, still the Muslims are F o
r e w o r d 7
5. suspected for these acts and put behind the bars and
tortured to elicit the confession. Many a Muslim youth studying in
professional colleges and other disciplines were also not spared.
The sense of hopelessness was too strong and it started worsening
the psyche of the Muslim community asawhole. Meanwhile their
economic plight was made public by Sachar Committee report,
published in 2006.
Thereport,basedonconcretedatamadeitclearthatduringlastsixdecadesaftertheindependence
the conditions of Muslims as a community has deteriated. Their
economic status, social conditions, political say and
representation, all faced a severe jolt and the community started
feeling as if they are being pushed to being second class citizens.
Many a delegations met the political leaders concerned. The appeal
to put the investigation on an honest ground fell on deaf ears and
police continued to arrest and torture. The case of Samjhauta
Express blast, Ajmer Dargah and Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad were most
glaring in this regard. So the community faced twin challenges, on
one hand being branded as terrorists and on the other communal
elements intensified their propaganda against the Muslim community.
This further intensified the process of marginalization of the
Muslim community. The twin aspects of security and equity got a
severe setback and community was in total despair. Even the most
liberal and educated sections of Muslims started
feelingthattheycannotliveinpeaceandwithdignityinthisatmosphere.
During the same period the infiltration of the communal mindset in
the system and its influenceon a large section of media started
becoming more obvious. A small section of national media did expose
this nexus but a larger section of the media kept carrying the
police versions of the events and the communal demonization of
Muslim community. Some independent social activists and groups did
raisetheirvoiceagainstwhatwasgoingon,buttheirimpactwasnotverypalpable.
It is in this frightening backdrop that, we at Anhad decided to
make an attempt to shake the national
conscience,tosharethepainandanguishoftheMuslimcommunitywiththelargesectionofsociety
to project the voice of the voiceless to the authorities and
political leadership. In this direction both these tribunals were
organised, the first one, 'Peoples Tribunal on the Atrocities
Committed against Minorities In the name of Fighting Terrorism' was
held on 22-24 August 2008 at Hyderabad. This focused mainly on the
victims of police investigation around acts of terrorism. And the
second one 'National Meet on the Status of Muslims in Contemporary
India' held at Delhi from 3 to 5 Oct 2009
focussedontheoverallsituationofthecommunityinthenationalscenario.
The findings of tribunals were quite revealing about the condition
of the Muslim minorities. Many a testimonies moistened the eyes of
the some of the jury members, the harrowing stories of mothers
whose sons are being tortured, the wives whose husband has been
made the victim of police atrocities; the third degree torture
inside the police custody, the insensitivity of administration was
all there, and was registered with pain and objectivity it
deserved. The jury was unanimous in giving
theinterimreportandconclusions. It is difficult to assess the
impact of the tribunal as such but in the aftermath of tribunal it
seemed 8
6. that the reckless arrest of Muslim youth stopped to some
extent, while the government is yet to give shape to the
comprehensive policies which should give Muslim their rightful due
in the society. We are publishing the proceedings of the tribunal
in a single volume as though the themes of tribunal may sound
different; they are deeply connected and supplementary. These
reports are a mirror of the society, a mirror to our democracy.
These reports should remind us that no democracy is worth its
principles unless the minorities can live with security and dignity
in the community. Time alone will tell the direction of the social
policies but we do realize that we have to keep up the battle for
democratic rights for the minorities, as the state on its own has
not been performing its
constitutionaldutyofbeingfairandjusttotheminorities. The tasks for
human rights workers are immense as we have a long way to go to be
able to democratize the society, to ensure that the values of our
freedom movement, the values of
Constitutionareupheldandpracticedatallthelevels. -Ram Punyani
9
7. 1
8. People's Tribunal on the Atrocities Committed Against the
Minorities In the Name of Fighting Terrorism 22-24 August 2008 at
Hyderabad Jury Members : Justice Sardar Ali Khan, Justice S.N.
Bhargava, Mr KG Kannabiran, Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, Mr Prashant
Bhushan, Mr Ram Puniyani, Ms Rooprekha Varma, MrLalitSurjan,
MrKingshukNag National Meet on the Status of Muslims in
Contemporary India, Delhi 3 to 5 Oct 2009 Jury Members : Ahmad
Saeed Malihabadi, Asghar Ali Engineer, Admiral Ramdas, Colin
Gonsalves, Gagan Sethi, Ghanshyam Shah, Hanif Lakdawala, Harsh
Mander, Kavita Srivastava, Mahesh Bhatt, Prashant Bhushan, Ram
Punyani, Rooprekha Verma, Sukumar Murlidharan, Tarun Tejpal, Uma
Chakravarty,ZafarAgha,ZahidAliKhan,ZoyaHassan J u r y F i n d i n g
sJ u r y F i n d i n g s
9. FindingsandRecommendations The testimonies showed that a
large number of innocent young Muslims have been and are being
victimized by the police on the charge of being involved in various
terrorist acts across the country. This is particularly so in
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan,
thoughnotlimitedtotheseStates. In most of the cases, the persons
picked up are not shown to be arrested by the police until many
days after their arrest in gross violation of the law. Their
families are also not informed about their arrest. In many cases,
they have been tortured in Police custody and made to confess and
sign
blankpapers.ThepolicehasbeenoftenhumiliatingMuslimdtentesontheground
oftheirreligion.
Thetestimoniesshowwidespreadcommunalizationofthepoliceacrossstatesinthecountry.
In most of these cases, the Courts are routinely allowingpolice
remand and not granting bail, merely on the police statements that
they are required for further investigation. They do not examine
whether there is any evidence against the accused. Unfortunately,
the media too uncritically
publicizesthechargeandallegationslevelledbythepolice.Thishasresultedinthedestructionofthe
lives and reputations of a large number of persons so picked up by
the police who have later been foundtobeinnocent. When the police
charge sheets the victims, the trials go on almost interminably
during which poor victims are virtually defenceless since they are
often not even able to get lawyers. In some cases, Bar Associations
have been preventing lawyers from appearing on behalf of persons
accused by the police of such terror offences. However, though this
is gross contempt of Court, the Courts have not taken action
against such Bar Associations and lawyers who are coercing other
lawyers in this manner. Even when the victims are acquitted or
discharged on being found innocent, they are not compensated for
the destruction of their lives and reputations. Even when the case
against the
victimsisfoundtobetotallycookedup,noactionisbeingtakentoholdtheconcernedpoliceofficials
accountable. This has led to impunity among the police officials as
a result of which they are casually and callously picking up and
victimizing innocent persons, particularly Muslims, sometimes even
to extractmoneyfromthem. It was been reported by the victims that
those citizens who are picked up by the police officers for
interrogation and are subject to repeated harassment and torture,
are implicated in false cases even
afterreleaseoracquittalandarefurthersubjectedtomentalandphysicaltorture.
Unfortunately, the Courts are going along with this behaviour of
the police and are virtually ignoring allegations of torture in
police custody. Hardly anyone is being held accountable for the
torture and
thirddegreemethodsthatarebeingroutinelypracticedinpoliceandeveninjudicialcustody.
Unfortunately, the Human Rights Commissions which should have taken
suo motto cognizance of such victimization and violation of human
rights of these people have by and large been treating 12
10. even complaints about this with casual indifference. They
either do not take up such cases on the ground that they are the
subject matter of court proceedings or just ask for a routine
police report without getting any independent investigation done on
such serious charges of human right violations. This victimization
and demonisation of Muslims in the guise of investigation of terror
offences, is having a very serious psychological impact on the
minds of not only the families of the victims but
alsoothermembersofthecommunity.Itisleadingtoaverystrongsenseofinsecurityandalienation
whichmayleadtofrightfulconsequencesforthenation. Recommendations 1.
State Human Rights Commission and National Human Rights Commission
and State Minority Commission should take up such matters seriously
and should come to independent finding itself and awarding adequate
compensation in suitable Cases. It should not wait for
somebodytoapproachthecommissionbutshouldtakeactionSuo-motto.Theyshouldutilize
their own agency to find out the truth. The malafide prosecution of
innocent persons is also a serious violation of Human Rights which
must be vigorously pursued by the Human rights Commissions. 2. The
Courts must not routinely grant police or judicial custody but must
examine at that stage whether there is any credible evidence
against the accused. The Courts should keep in mind that no
reliance should be placed on the alleged confession of the accused
even for considerationofbail/remand. 3. Whenever any person is
released by the police for want of evidence against him the Courts
should award adequate compensation for the destruction of his life
and reputation. In such cases the Courts should examine if the
prosecution was malafide, and if it is so found, the police
officials involved must be held accountable and the compensation
payable to the victimmustberecoveredfromtheofficersconcerned. 4.
Cr.PC should be amended to make it obligatory on the Courts to
award adequate compensation to the innocent victim who is
discharged or acquitted due to lack of evidence
orwasfalselyimplicated. 5. There ought to be separate
department/wing for investigation that should be given specialized
training on modern scientific basis, in line with the
recommendations of the National Police Commission, duly endorsed by
the Supreme Court. Independent police complaints authorities must
be immediately set up at all levels in line with the Supreme
Court'sjudgmentinthePoliceReformscase. 6. The trial courts should
be provided with a medical officer who can immediately examine any
accused complaining of torture in Police or judicial custody. The
courts must immediately, on any complaint being made, order such
examination and take stringent action if the allegation 13
11. is found true. The number of Trial courts must be greatly
increased to ensure speedy conclusions of Trials. Investigations
must also be concluded within the shortest possible time and
extensions of timemust not be routinely given. An adequate cadre of
competent defence lawyers must be created to defend those accused
who cannot afford their own lawyers. An
independentstatutoryofficeofpublicprosecutorsmustbecreated. 7. The
Police during interrogation or investigation cannot get blank
papers signed by the accused; Police officers found indulging in
such practice must be severely punished. Narco analysis is a
psychologically and physically third degree method of investigation
which is not
evenscientificallyproven.Itmustnotbeallowedonpersonsparticularlywithoutconsent.
8. Persons including officials of Bar Associations seeking to
prevent lawyers from representing accused persons must be hauled up
for Contempt of Court for interfering with the
administrationofJustice. 9. Special sensitization programmes should
be organized for the Judiciary and Police regarding HumanRights.
10. The Governments should provide adequate compensation to the
relatives of the person who
diedduetopolicefiringatMeccaMasjid.Nodiscriminationshouldbemadebasedonreligion
or caste or place of residence. Employment should also be provided
to the dependents of the deceased. 11. The Media, both Print as
well Electronic should be very careful not to publicize mere
allegations or claims of the police which can irreparably damage
reputations of innocent
personswithoutsubjectingthemtobasicscrutiny. 12. In cases where all
the bread earners of a family have been arrested by the police, the
families of the victims, especially minor children and desolate
women are rendered penniless and
helplessandaredriventostarvation.Insuchcases,untilandunlesstheaccusedareconvicted
by courts, the State must provide regular financial help to the
extent that the education of
childrenisnotdisruptedandthefamilyisnotstarved. 13. India must
immediately sign the International Criminal Court Treaty known as
the Rome Statutewhichhasbeensignedbymostcountries. 14
12. FindingsandRecommendations Anationalmeetwasorganisedon
thetheme'WhatitMeanstobeaMusliminIndiaToday'byAnhad in
collaboration with Siasat and other organisations in Delhi from 3
to 5 Oct 2009. A large number of individuals as well as
representatives of organisations participated and spoke about their
experiences and problems late into the evenings. The major findings
and recommendations that emergedfromthehearingsarepresentedhere.
Overall
Thepredominantfindingofthemeetwasthatthereisanintense,almostuniversalsentimentof
fear and growing despair among Muslim citizens of the country. Many
of those who testified in the meet went so far as to declare that
they felt reduced to second class citizenship. They shared their
mounting disillusionment with all institutions of governance, and
more so with the police and
judiciary,aswellaswithpoliticalpartiesandtosomeextentthemedia.
Thereisontheonehandtheconstantdreadofbeingprofiledasaterrorist,orofalovedonebeingso
profiled, with the attendant fears of illegal and prolonged
detention, denial of bail, torture, unfair and biased investigation
and trial, and extra-judicial killings. There is on the other hand
the lived experience of day to day discrimination, in education,
employment, housing and public services, which entrap the community
in hopeless conditions of poverty and want. This is fostered in a
situation of pervasive communal prejudice in all institutions of
the state, especially the police, civil administration and
judiciary; and also the political leadership of almost all
parties;large segments of the print and visual media; and the
middle classes, and the systematic manufacture of hate and
dividebycommunalorganisations. It was repeatedly emphasised that
this is not simply a problem of victimhood of or injustice to a
particular community. It is a grave challenge to the basic values
of the Indian Constitution, including
democracy,secularism,fraternityandtheruleoflaw. MajorFindings 1.
The pervasive sense of insecurity reported from various corners of
the country derived greatly from the prejudice, illegality and
impunity with which police forces across the country deal
withthechallengesofterror.Thisisaregularpatternthatoccursafterevery
terrorattack,and sometimes even when there have been no actual
terror episodes but the state authorities claim that there was a
conspiracy which they detected and prevented. Testimonies from many
states in the country outline this chilling pattern, of Muslim,
mostly male youth, usually with no criminal records, being
illegally picked up by men in plain clothes, and taken blind-
folded in unmarked vehicles to illegal locations like farm houses
which are not police stations. There they are tortured to coerce
them to confess to terror crimes. Many men testified in the meet to
brutal and terrifying torture. A few are killed in extra-judicial
killings or 'encounters'. The rest are ultimately produced after
several days of illegal detention before magistrates,
whoignoreinjuriesthatsuggesttorture.Theyarethenofficiallyremandedtoextendedpolice
15
13. custody, and ultimately charged with a range of crimes of
terror and treason. Many are charged with multiple crimes of
terror, sometimes 20 or even 50, in many states, making it
impossible for the youth charged with these grave crimes to defend
themselves. Even if the legal justice system worked efficiently, it
would take many years, sometimes decades, for these cases to be
heard and concluded against each of the individuals. For all these
years, the youth would continue to be held in detention. Almost no
one who bears a Muslim identity is exempt from the fear that they,
or members of their families, can be subjected to the same
allegations of terror links, and to similar processes of detention,
torture, encounter killings or prolonged, multiple and biased
trails. It was noted that completely different standards are
appliedinthecasesoftheHindutvaterrororganisationswhichhavecometolight.
2. The testimonies underlined the aspirations of the people of the
community to participate in economic and social development in the
country, as equal partners as people of other communities. Many
women and men who testified in the national meet spoke of the
importance to them of modern and high quality schooling and higher
education, and sought much higher levels of public investment in
their education. There was careful and thoughtful analysis of the
design and implementation of measures announced by the central
government to address the low social and economic indicators
documented by the Sachar Committee. It was pointed out that the per
capita levels of investment for the community are
stilllow.Theschemeforinvestmentindistrictswithhighminoritypopulation,atbestcover30
per cent of the total population. The programmes are for area
development rather than programmes focussed on the minorities;
therefore they prove blunt instruments as much of the expenditure
is on general infrastructure and little to directly benefit
deprived people of the community. They are not consulted about
their priorities. The scholarship programme is welcome, but also
suffers from infirmities of procedure and targets which limit its
impact. Financial institutions including nationalised banks are
still reluctant to extend credit to Muslims. 3. There were many
testimonies about open prejudice and bias of public institutions
towards Muslims, but it was confirmed that these prejudices are
equally evident outside government as well. There were also reports
of profiling against Muslims by the criminal justice system even
beyond terror crimes, reflected in disproportionately high Muslim
populations in jails. Many sensitive and senior positions in both
central and state government departments, including in the home,
education, social welfare and information departments, continue to
be held by officials with sympathies with communal ideologies and
organisations, and the UPA government has done little to identify
and replace them. In particular, sections of the media were
examined for their role in reinforcing communal stereotypes, as
well as for uncritically broadcasting the police version in
terror-related arrests and encounter killings. Textbooks often show
similar bias, and this is particularly dangerous because for
millions of poor and especially rural children, the textbook is the
only source of the printed word which theycanaccess. 16
14. 4. People reported from many parts of India of difficulties
in getting homes on rent or on sale in non- Muslim localities, or
admissions in schools and institutions of higher education. People
spoke in many corners of the country of systematic efforts to
destroy and boycott the livelihoods of Muslims. Sustained
decentralised hate campaigns are organised which portray Muslim men
as predators against Hindu girls, and people who slaughter the cow
which is sacred to the Hindu community, and vigilante groups
supported tacitly by the police target Muslims for these alleged
social violations. There were reports, again from many corners of
the country, about ejection from cemetery and waqf lands. The
latter are valued at billions of rupees,and if managed with
efficiencyand integrity,could yieldlargeresourcesfor education
andlivelihoodsforthecommunity. Recommendations 1. There should be a
high-powered judicial commission headed by a former Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court appointed to examine all cases of terror
across the country. Those that seem
doubtfulorfabricationsshouldbehandedovertoaSpecialInvestigationTeamappointedand
supervised by the high-powered judicial commission. It should
complete its task in one year,
sothatprolongeddetentionofpersonsagainstwhomthereislittleconvincingevidenceisnot
prolongedfurther. 2. In cases in which it is obvious that false
cases were framed and evidence fabricated, the police officers
should be prosecuted (tampering with evidence in cases which can
result in capital punishment is itself a capital crime). Victims
who were detained and ultimately found innocent should be paid
compensation by the state for the suffering and lost years of their
lives. 3.
Thereisaperceivedslowdownininvestigatingandprosecutingcasesofallegedterroractivities
by right wing Hindutva organisations. These investigations should
be resumed, and placed
undertheleadershipofofficersofimpeccablesecularcredentialsandintegrity.
4.
ThereshouldbeaconcerteddrivetorecruitmuchlargernumbersofMuslimstoalllevelsofthe
police, civil administration and judiciary. For this, all the
recommendations of the Sachar
Committeeforaffirmativeactionshouldbenotifiedin6months,andimplementedin3years.
5. The UPA government must immediately redeem its pledge and enact
the Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of
Victims) Bill. It must incorporate the major elements suggested by
civil society groups. Communal violence is by its very nature, a
targeted crime and a mass crime, perpetrated on a community of
persons. As such these
crimesdonotfindthemselvesreflectedintheIndianPenalCode,1860andotherextantpenal
laws. Because of their nature as `targeted mass crimes', they need
to be recognized as such,
drawingupontheconceptsofgenocideandcrimesagainsthumanity. 6. When
persons in positions of official power deliberately fail to prevent
the eruption of 17
15. communal violence, or to stop its continuation, the
responsibility for the eruption, or continuance, in the penal law
as is stands, does not provide for prosecuting or punishing them.
'Command responsibility' has to be built into the law if the
perpetrators of violence are to be drawn into a legal scheme of
punishment and deterrence. The law should explicitly recognize and
punish communal crimes that result not just from active
participation or abetment of state authorities, but also crimes of
omission, or what may be described as 'culpableinaction'. 7. Any
proposed law on communal violence must use the concepts of
restoration, reparation and compensation, depending on the scale
and nature of mass communal violence, which includes rescue, relief
(including establishing relief camps for as long as affected people
feel insecure), compensation, restitution, rehabilitation including
assistance of soft loans and land allocations to rebuild
livelihoods and shelters to levels not less than before the
violence
andinconformitywiththewishesoftheaffectedpersons,andthereconstructionofplacesof
worship destroyed in the violence. It should also contain
internationally accepted norms for the internally displaced. These
should be inviolable, legally enforceable rights of the victim-
survivor, and extended according to national framework/policy of
entitlements for victim-
survivorsofcommunalviolence,ratherthanleaveittodiscretionatthestatelevel.
8. Strong action should be taken under Section 153A of the Indian
Penal Code against organisations which indulge in hate campaigns
and communal propaganda. The requirement of prior sanction of the
state government before a complaint in registered under this Act
shouldbewaived. 9. A law against communal discrimination on the
lines of the SC ST Act should be enacted to
recognisespecificcrimesof discrimination against minoritiesand
punish theseseverely.Such crimes of communal discrimination would
include organising social and economic boycott, communal
propaganda, propagating communal stereotypes in textbooks and the
media, and denial of housing and employment on communal
considerations. The Act would contain
provisionsforcompensation,andpunishmentofpublicofficials. 10.
Officials who carry communal prejudices should be identified, and
removed from sensitive positions in which their decisions have
bearing on minorities, such as in the departments of
home,education,welfare,information,andinfinancialinstitutions. 11.
The Prime Minister should nominate a committee to undertake a
nationwide campaign against the communalisation of society, akin to
the literacy campaign and temple entry campaigns of the past. The
features of discrimination in everyday life have not been
sufficiently acknowledged, let alone studied, by government, even
in the otherwise laudable
SacharCommittee.Thiscommitteeshouldalsostudyanddocumentthesesocialprocessesof
discrimination,someofwhichcametolightinthenationalmeet. 12. The
Prime Minister's 15 point program should be given statutory status.
The government 18
16. should constitute a high-level Empowered Committee in the
Prime Ministers' Office with senior non-officials who have worked
on this issue constituting at least half the membership, to monitor
implementation of measures to improve the socio-economic conditions
of Muslims, including implementation in letter and spirit the
recommendations of the Sachar Committee. 13.
Allocationsshouldbesufficienttocoverthelargedeprivedpopulation,inaMinoritySubPlan
- like the Tribal Sub Plan and the Special Component Plan which is
proportionate to the population of the communities. The Plans
should be not to simply develop districts with high minority
population, but directly benefit them with high quality education
at all levels, health care,andsupportforlivelihoodsandemployment.
14. The Committee should be empowered also to ensure the Waqf
properties are managed in
waysthattheirincomesareconvergedwithpublicinvestmenttoensurefurthertoppingupof
resources for the development and benefit of the deprived members
of the community, with special focus on children, youth and women.
Institutional mechanisms should be build to use
Waqfpropertyincomesalsotoprotecthumanrights. 19
17. Te s t i m o n i e s
18. ManishaSethi,Delhi
AnswertothequestionwhatitmeanstobeaMusliminIndiaistobeencounterable,tobeconstantly
suspected of being a terrorist, possibility of being killed without
being questioned. Jamia Teacher Solidarity Association had
organized an all party convention in Jamia on the question of
State, Democracy and Terrorism on the completion of one year of
encounter at Batla house. In that convention many civil rights
activist arrived and discussed their struggle for war against
terror. It was
discussedthathowinthenameofwagingwaragainstterror,communalagendahasbeenpromoted.
The conclusion emerged that whether it was NDA regime or UPA term
or whether it was Gujarat, A.P., Rajasthan, U.P., Indian state had
discoursed the war on terror everywhere and accepted it; in the
name of which Muslim youth were systematically and continuously
picked up, encountered. That entire game plan was justified in the
name of national security. Sometimes they were alleged for planning
to kill Modi or Mayawati, otherwise in for blasting during any
festive occasion. There is consensus across the news board rooms
that no police version would be contested. In popular
cultureglorificationofencounterkillingisgoingon. You might have
watched the movie 'Wednesday' it was a thinking film, a well
crafted film. The agenda of whole film was that all terrorist are
Muslims and second we should abandon all legal means of justice
rather bypassing the law which are nonsense 'terrorists' should be
directly encountered.Sameisthediscoursewhichisgoingoninoursociety.
In Ishrat Jahan's case Home Ministry under UPA filed an affidavit
that Ishrat Jahan 17 yr old girl who studied in college was a LeT
operative and the demand for Independent enquiry of that case was
alwaysdeclined. Now let's come to Batla house encounter case
because JTSA is directly dealing with that case since last year. On
13 September 2008 there were bomb blasts in Delhi. In those blasts
many people died many were injured. From 14 September, 2008 drive
to pick up people from Jamia Nagar, a predominantly Muslim area,
started. Police arrived in civil dress and without any number
plates on their vehicles, without any warrants picked people
randomly and frisked them away. On 14th September, 2008, two
persons were picked up. And on 18th September a day before the
infamous
encounterpolicefriskedawayonePHDstudent.HewaskeptinthespecialcellatLodhiroadforthree
days. He was not only physically tortured but also psychologically.
On 19th September, 2008 in Batla house one well televised, well
publicized encounter took place in which Special Cell of the Delhi
police. Inspector Sharma, one of their decorated officers, went
inside the building to fight the 'dreaded terrorists' who were
hiding there. Inspector Sharma did not wear a bullet proof jacket.
Sharma died and so did the two alleged terrorist. You might
remember the stories in newspaper in which every day on 14, 15, 16,
17th September, 2008 Mr. Shivraj Patil's, the then Home Minister,
photo was on front page in different dresses. In morning, at 10:16
am he was in white clothes, at 11:30 AM he was in brown clothes and
etc. etc. They tried to show Shivraj Patil's obsession with his
appearance in public while the country's security was in danger.
That time Shivraj Patil, Home Minister, UPA govt., needed to set an
example that India was a strong state, mature militaristic state,
22
19. which can deal with the problem of national security. So on
19th September, 2008 at 10:00 AM a Batla house encounter took
place. In that also different versions are there some say 10:00 AM,
some say 10:30AM. There is no consistency. So story unfolded from
the morning and two terrorists were encountered and inspector
Sharma was injured. Till evening he also died. By that time the
environment was full of fear. The very next day many boys were
picked up who knew the boys who were killed. Next day I, Shabnam
Hashmi, one of my journalist friend and a few Jamia teachers went
to L18 flat in which two boys lived. We met a large number of
people in the area including some immediate neighbours. It was
clear that there was incoherency in the version that police was
propagating. So we thought we should investigate into the matter.
In media a communal tirade started such as graduates with killer
degree, Jamia nursery of terror and killer children and the whole
community of Azamgarh. The entire community of Jamia, community of
Batla house and the whole Muslim community were treated as either
terrorists or having allegiance to terrorists and a
wholesnarecampaignstarted. Six of us who had gone to L 18 Batla
House after a lot of debate amongst ourselves released questions
around 2am on the internet puncturing the official police version.
There was an atmosphere of fear and questioning the official
version was a sin. We were of course immediately branded as
unpatriotic and anti national but our questions circulated on the
internet widely and
quotedbysomenewspapersnextdaybrokethespelloffear. Our campaign to
bring justice to those encountered at Batla House has been going on
till date. We are demanding the judicial enquiry into that case. A
case filed by Anhad has been lost even at the
SupremeCourtlevelbutthatdoesnotdeterusfromexposingwhatisblatantlywrong.
I will give you a picture of the inconsistency in police version
and show the questions which we put
up.FirstofallPolicesaidthatwhentheywentforencounteroperationInspectorSharmawasleading
the team and all were behind him. L18 is built on a small plot and
has four floors. It has only one exit
gateandtoascend,thereisaladderhavinganirongrillaround
it.Andtheflatinwhichtheylivedwas on the 4th floor. The house behind
it was of just 2 floors. If anybody have to jump will have to jump
from 4th floor to 2nd floor. According to police version they had
cordoned off the whole area. Then the question arise if they had
cordoned off the area than how could the two people ran away since
therewas only one exitpoint.Then howthe policepossibly let themrun
away.Wedoubted the story on that evening itself when it was
unveiled that the two terrorists were absconding from the venue
ofencounter. Secondly, we asked why and how L 18 was selected?
Praveen Swami who writes in the Hindu wrote as if his spirit was on
the roof of place of incident that police got the information after
Ahmadabad blasts that Basher or Atif arrived in Delhi from
Ahmadabad with his few friends with arms. Police took their cell
phone on surveillance. And by the record of intercepted calls L18
was targeted. Then the biggest question is that if the cell phone
was on surveillance and the Police knew that they were terrorists
then what sort of alertness does the police had? They arrived in
Delhi after 26th July, 2008 and planted bombs on 13 September, what
was the police doing? It clearly indicates fallacy in the 23
20.
policeversion.TheotherquestionwhichweraisedwasregardingMr.Sharmawhowasanencounter
specialist. Why he went there to fight with terrorist without
bulletproof vest. Police said that it was
notsure,onmeresuspicionpolicewenttheretoinvestigateandtheallegedterroristsopenedfireon
them.PhotosofAtifandSajidweretakenbycellphoneduringthetimeoftheirfuneral.TheSajidwas
just a 17 yr old a legally minor. If he were a criminal then also
under Juvenile Justice Act he could not be held as criminal. Under
the JJ act no custodial violence can be justified on a minor.
Certain rules
andregulationaretobefollowedwhiledealingwithachild.Sajid'sphotographmakesitclearthathe
was shot at point blank range. Had it been a natural shoot out in
which both the parties participated it would have been face to
face. It is important to think how 4-5 bullets got into his head?
This is clear police made him sit on a chair or on the floor and
then shot bullets in his head. When this question was asked to
police, police in its defence said that Sajid was firing on Police
by hiding himself under the bed where he was firing on the Police
lying down under the cot and hence few of the bullets hit his
skull. Further we asked if he was lying under the bed then how
could the Inspector Sharma received bullets in his chest. On the
issue of Inspector Sharma not wearing bullet proof vest Police
version came out that Mr. Sharma got injured during cross firing
and then police came with bullet proof vest. So I don't know
whether they were having bullet proof vest or not. Sometime they
were having it sometimes not. Sometime they say they knew that they
were terrorist sometime they say
thattheywereambushedbysurprise.Manyversionscamethroughmedia. The
proof that police gave for the boys being terrorists was the
recovery of AK-47, revolver and a bucket, a polythene bag and one
scotch tape/ cello tape. When we asked how those things prove that
they were terrorists then they said that they might be sticking the
bomb with cello tape and in polythene bag they might take the bomb
to other place to plant it and in buckets they might be keeping the
bomb after making it. So by those proofs I would say that more than
half of the Indians areterrorists. Same day on the evening of
encounter Y S Dadwal called a press conference and said that we
have cracked this case. In all those blasts in Jaipur, Ahmadabad,
Delhi, Indian Mujahidin was involved. Atif
wasamastermindofIndianmujahidinandSajidwasexpertbombmaker.
Sajidwasa17yearoldboy who arrived to take admission in Jamia School
but could not clear the entrance for admission in Jamia School so
he joined an English speaking course. Dadwal said that that 17 year
old boy was an expert bomb maker. Police said that they had his
signature, signature in the sense the style of bomb making. All the
bombs that were blasted were same as he used to make with ammonium
nitrate and pods clock etc. But apart from all those things nothing
was recovered from L18 even the material needed for making bombs.
One more thing which we raised was that after encounter the care
taker in whose house Atif and Sajid used to live he himself went in
front of the camera of Headlines Today and said that he had signed
the lease deed and the copy is with the police in which seal of the
police was there. The very next day he was also into the police
custody under the allegations of forgery and his son Zia Rehman, a
Jamia student who was in IIIrd year was also put in special cell
reasoning that hewascoconspiratoror co-bomber. 24
21. Then we also argued that if those people had tenant
verification form, it means they were having
driverlicenseandallsimcardwereboughtontheirownrealidentification.Iftheyweremasterminds
of Indian Mujahidin then why would they give genuine details they
could have used fake identity. There police said they were very
clever and intelligent they thought if they use their own identity
nobody would doubt on them. So the question is if they were so
clever then after the bomb blasts why were they staying in the same
building, they could flee as well from there as after blasts on 14,
15, 16, 17 there was regular presence of special cell people who
picked up many people from there,
Batlahouse.Whywouldtheylivethereforbeingarrestedorforbeingencountered?
After the encounter five more boys were picked up. Police from
different states presented different masterminds. Maharashtra
police presented Tarik, U.P. police presented Baliullah, Rajasthan
police presented Shahbaj, and Delhi police presented Atif Amin. All
those police versions had to be saved from embarrassment so what
the Indian State agencies did that all the state police implicated
them in different cases. All these 5 boys were implicated in
Ahmadabad blasts. One of those 5 boys Saif was implicated in Jaipur
blast etc. those boys were charged with different FIRs and
different criminal cases are pending against them. It seems like it
will take 30-40 years to get justice in all those cases
sincethechargesheetsaresolengthy.Whatweneedistobeginaparalleltrialjusticecampaign?
Charge sheet itself is a psychological warfare, because when you
ask for charge sheet then they would give you an appendix of 10,000
pages in Gujarati. You keep on reading those and take 5 years
tounderstandandgointrial. Right now I think encounter is one major
issue we need to focus on. We should try to ensure speedy justice.
We need to strengthen our movement to take this issue forward to
reiterate the demand for independent fair enquiry into the
encounter and also the speedy justice for all the accused and
arrestedyouth. TariqShafiq,Azamgarh Atif got himself enrolled in MA
Program at Jamia Millia Islamia after completing his graduation
that
toofromJamiaMilliaIslamia.Butinthecharge-sheetfiledagainsthim,itismentionedthathedidhis
graduation from Allahabad University and afterwards sought
admission at Jamia Millia Islamia University. To substantiate the
claim the police showed mark sheet of Allahabad University, which
was fabricated evidence in itself. To counter the police claim I
would like to show the copy of mark sheet of Allahabad University
which is exact replica of his Jamia Millia Islamia marks sheet
except
thatthenameoftheUniversityandsignatureoftheattestingauthorityhavebeenchanged.
Sajid was not even 17 years old. He fell short by 2-3 months. There
is a school in Mohammed Pur, approximately 10 KM away from
Sanjarpur. He studied there, and used to drive cycle everyday to
school. He had actually never been to even Azamgarh town. For the
first time he had been out of his village for the entrance test to
seek admission in the Jamia Senior Secondary School for Std. 11. He
stayed in Delhi for just two days. He could not clear the entrance
exam as the medium of instruction was English and not Hindi. Then,
his parents suggested him to join some English Learning course to
25
22. develop basic understanding of the language that would have
subsequently helped him in clearing the entrance exam. It had been
hardly a month since he was in Delhi and in the meantime, he was
allegedtobethemastermindoftheDelhiBombBlastsofSeptember13,2008andwasencountered.
According to the official version, he had been involved in illegal
activities for the last three years, means when he was hardly 14
years of age. A boy of mere 14 years of age from rural background,
who hardly had sense to wear clothes sophisticatedly, was alleged
to be involved in terrorist
activities.Alongside,hewasslappedwithchargesofbeingabomb-makerandtravelledtoKeralaand
Ahmadabad. Police in its official version has stated that Sajid was
firing at the police officials while lying under the cot and in
self protection police opened fire at him. Sajid received bullet
injuries on
thetopofthehead,inthebackofthehead,rightshoulderandinthechest.Autopsyreportindicated
that he was shot at point-blank range while the police have been
denying it completely. Police stated that he received bullet
injuries at those points because he was lying under the cot while
the autopsy
reportsuggestedthathewasintentionallyshotbymakinghimsitonthechair.
On the other hand just after the encounter, media reached the
Sanjarpur village of Azamgarh from where Sajid hailed. Aaj Tak was
one of the first channels to reach there. The reporters reached
Saif's house and he was also arrested by the police and belonged to
the same village. Reporter asked his fatherthathowhefeltabout
hisson beingaterrorist.Noonehad anyideainAzamgarhorthevillage
regarding what had happened at Batla House and in that situation
they were bombarded with all 26
23. sort of questions. Villagers got furious and surrounded the
journalists; villagers said it was improper to ask such questions.
Journalists were forced to leave the village. In the meantime, a
journalist contacted SP of the district and he sent the police
force immediately to the village. Village was cordoned off by the
police and the police lathi-charged. Those who intervened were
arrested by the police and were taken to the police station.
Villagers were also angry at the police because on the last visit
to the village police arrested Basher and had cordoned off his
house. No one was allowed to go out of the house, entire house was
searched without issuance of any search warrant and later household
items were destroyed or were taken away by the police personnel
including whatever little jewellery was in the house, which the
villages helpedhiminbuyingduringthetimeof marriageowingtohisvery
poor economiccondition.Ironyis that even after such an exhaustive
search nothing suspicious could be traced. With that episode
villagerswerevery unhappyand didnot wantitto
berepeated.Villagersevensuggestedifthepolice wanted to search the
house then it should take place in the presence of few senior
villagers. At this suggestion police asked them to shut up. 30 men
were arrested and after 35 days they were released. At present,
residents of Azamgarh are in the state of perennial fear, since all
investigative agencies have set up their base in the Azamgarh
district. Places have been identified for setting up permanent
offices of IB (intelligence bureau) and ATS. As per law, police
officials who are authorised to arrest anyone ought to be in the
Uniform and should use legal numbered vehicles. However, its the
other way round at Azamgarh. ATS officials or the officials of any
other security agencies roam in vehicles without number plates and
in the civiliandress and are arresting whosoever they desire
randomly at
anypointoftimeandleavethemafterextractingmoney.Mr.VinodYadavwhowasworkingonthese
issues of random picking of people by the police, one day was
picked up and was asked to stop his reporting. He was warned that
being a Hindu, he should refrain himself from fighting for the
Muslims. Every yearten to twentythousand youth weregoing out of
Azamgarh just for the sakeof studies,but this year hardly two to
three thousand might have gone because of the fear of being
targeted as terrorist without any base. If anyone is out of home
for few hours parents start worrying about the wellbeingoutoffear.
It was known that people from Azamgarh move out primarily for two
purposes education and to
earnmoney.ThereishugedearthofjobsforMuslimsinUP,andAzamgarhisabackwarddistrictfrom
thepointofviewofinfrastructuraldevelopment.Everyonedesirestoimpartbestpossibleeducation
27
24. to their children so that they eventually would get better
jobs in other cities or abroad. In Azamgarh
DistrictSanjarpurvillageisconsideredtobethemostadvancededucation-wise.
Media had also pronounced that there were approximately three crore
rupees in Saif's bank account. The truth was that Atif had Rs.
1400/- in his account and Saif had Rs. 30,000/- in the bank account
which his father had transferred just two days before to deposit
the admission fees. When many activists made uproars at such false
stories, then media ran away from accepting their mistakes and no
attempt was made to rectify those improper and baseless statements
by carrying out proper investigation. Media played merely as mouth
piece of security agencies. Such small incidents of false reporting
over a period of time act as repository for opinions based entirely
on deep seated prejudices and malice lacking any factual content
and accountability. All those who would have read or heard those
media statements, (which were later not denounced by the media)
would surely accept those boys as terrorists. In Azamgarh charge
sheets in different cases have been filled against thirty one
persons and eighteen have been arrested, eleven are missing. From
Sanjarpur village five children are missing, two are in police
custody and two have been killed in custody of the police. But
their parents do not know their whereabouts. People fear that on
some occasionof 26thJanuary or15thAugust,thosewho
areincustodywillbeshownasmilitantskilledin encounter. We have
written to high officials and those in power right from State Chief
Minister to Prime Minister of the nation to intervene in the
matter. Government of India and Uttar Pradesh are answerable to the
relatives to find out where are these boys and disclose the
information regarding the same. However, from nowhere, any reply
has been received. No action has been taken on the Human Rights
abuses that are taking place at Azamgarh. And no autonomous
official bodies like NHRCorNCMhavebotheredtolookintothematter.
Since, I was raising my voice against Human Rights abuses; I have
now been slapped with a case of confronting the police violently on
September 13, 2009, whereas I was actually out of town from
September7to15,2009.RamakantYadav,MPfromBJPwhowaselectedtosafeguardtheinterestof
the people and who is directly answerable to the people of his
constituency, fired at a Muslim boy, in
thecrowdedroad.Inreactiontothatincidentpeoplewereagitatinginapeacefulmarchforhisarrest
butwerelathi-charged. Once I declared to organise a meeting with
the prominent people of the district to tackle the human rights
abuses which were escalating in the district. It was scheduled to
take place on the 27th of September, 2009. Therefore, to stop it
from taking place, I was slapped with charges of carrying out
illegalactivities. At present, the officials are not releasing the
passports of the villagers from nine villages, where 80% population
is of Muslims. It is a deliberate attack on the economy of the
Muslims. Government does not want these Muslims to go abroad and
earn fortunes for their families. Azamgarh, despite of acute
poverty in pockets has highest per capita income in the entire
eastern regions of UP. To decelerate the economy of the Muslims,
their children, if they go outside to seek higher education, are
branded as terrorists. Passports are not issued to stop or delay
them from going abroad. And so 28
25.
muchofcorruptionisinvolvedinissuanceofPassport.IttakesatleastRs.5000/-perheadinorderto
getapassport. I just want to request the civil society to strongly
oppose such kind of sinister designs of branding every Muslim as a
terrorist. What is happening at Azamgarh should not be repeated in
other places, but unfortunately it is happening. People of Azamgarh
are living under constant fear of being picked up or murdered by
the Police. We constantly receive calls and warning to dissuade us
from our activities. If anyone from Azamgarh wants to take a room
on rent at places or cities like Delhi, on telling their identity,
owners refuse to give room to them. Such is the grim situation.
Many owners even if are willing to give the room on rent they are
discouraged thinking of possibility of Police enquiry that may
cause nuisance for them. If the children who are heading to the
cities like Delhi to seek education are denied any access to have
room on rent, where would they stay and study. This matter has to
be brought to the consciousness of the larger masses through media
or from alternativesourcesofreachingouttomasses.
MussaratJahan,Mumbra,Maharashtra I am younger sister of Ishrat
Jahan. What was my sister's crime that she was labelled as a
terrorist? She was a college student and very fearful girl but had
been charged with serious allegations like planning an attemptto
murder Mr Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat. I have a question for
the police of Gujarat if they can answer, that how did she reach
Gujarat, when she was in Bombay. I suspect that she had been
kidnapped and subsequently was killed. She did not know anything
about Narendra
Modi,asshedidnothaveanyinterestinlisteningtonewsorinpoliticsforthatmatter.Howcouldshe
becomethepartofconspiracyhatchedtokillsuchaninfluentialpolitician?Nooneinthepolicetried
to find out who the girl was, but just shot her dead. Can anybody
understand how much pain she endured in earning for the family? We
were five siblings and mother. After my father's demise she was
whole sole bread earner of the family. She studied herself and
helped all of us with our studies apartfromgivingtuitions. Now the
independent inquiry report by Justice Tamang is out which is
reinstating our point of view, that she had been killed in fake
encounter. And we know that she was absolutely innocent. Can the
policeandthegovernmentgetmemysisterback?Whenthesepeoplecannotgivelifehowdarethey
takeanybody'slife?Thatwasnotasimplecaseofmistake;letmemakeitcleartotheadministration,
that it was straight away a case of murder in cold-blood. Will the
government ever try to understand the difficulties my family had
undergone? We have faced five years of hard ships after her death,
would the government ever take pain of knowing how had been that
time for us? We were left to starve on just a meal a day. And all
of us were too naive and young to face the situation that was
standingbeforeustoface.Thoughnowwehavegatheredourselves,yetthesenseofalienationfrom
the rest of society hounds us. Every one of us brothers and sisters
wanted to study, but now all it has beenspoiled. 29
26. ShahNawaz,U.P. Be it the case of Batla House or the cases
of Ishrat Jahan, both of them are similar in the manner in which
they were picked up despite the difference in their individual
cases. In UP state there were simultaneous blasts in Faizabad,
Lucknow and Banaras on 30th September 2007. In relation to those
blasts, an arrest drive was initiated and some people from Azamgarh
and Jaunpur were arrested within a month. Aftab Alam Ansari was
accused by the Police of being the mastermind of these blasts. He
was released after 21 days but Tariq Azmi who was arrested from
Azamgarh and Khalid Mujahir from Jaunpur are still languishing in
Jail. The Police released Aftab Alam Ansari, who was supposedly the
mastermind, stating that they had made a mistake but the other two
who were
supposedlyworkingwithhimarestillinJail.TariqAzmi,adoctorbyprofessionwasgoingsomewhere
on his motorcycle on 12th November. He was beaten up by some police
personnel and was picked in the middle of his way near Barabanki.
When the local people gathered and questioned that act of police
they were told by the Police that he was upset with his wife and
was running away and that theyweretakinghimbacktohishome. He,
however, did not reach home that night. On December 13, 2007, we
lodged an FIR to report that he was missing. The police denied his
custody and kept him hidden. A few days later, we sent a letter to
highlight this matter, along with a notice to the Superintendent of
Police. Mohammed Arshad Khan, a lawyer, lodged a complaint asking
why people in the area were going 'missing' and what steps were
being taken by the administration in this regard. The SP of the
area assured us that there was nothing to worry about and that the
police was sensitive to such sudden disappearance of people. Three
to four days passed in this manner, but we heard no news of any of
him. On December 18, 2007, the Lucknow Chief Magistrate, the State
Governor, senior officials and Human Right activists were faxed a
report highlighting the fact that several people had gone
'missing', all of whom happened to be Muslims. The fax also stated
that the Superintendent of the Police did not
apparentlyconsiderthismatterseriousenoughforhisimmediateattention.OnDecember22,2007,
anewsreportinformedusthatMohammadTariqhadbeenarrestedfromBarabankiRailwayStation,
alongwithalargeconsignmentofammunitionandanAK47rifle,andwasallegedlyamemberofthe
HUJI. Khalid Mujahid, on the other hand, was accused of being party
to the bomb blasts that took
placeinthecourtyardofLucknowCourt,FaizabadandtheSankatMochanTempleatBenaras.
I was not allowed to meet Mohammad Tariq in jail. I could meet him
only after seeking permission from court. When I did, he told me,
Do not take this matter further, it is of no use. We are treated
here,inamannersimilartotheprisonersatAbuGharaibandGuatanamoBay.Thisstatementshould
be enough to understand the extent of torture that we are going
through. He also said that he had never possessed any ammunition
and had never gone to any place where any kind of illegal activity
was taking place. In fact, he told us, based on conversations that
he had heard, that the STF was busy trying to find evidence, even
false, in order to add strength to their allegations, since they
too had pressurefromotherauthoritiestoconvictpeopleinthesecases.
Khalid Mujahir was eating Chaat from a shop on 16th November. It
was a very crowded place 30
27. suddenly some people came in a Tata Sumo who picked him up
and took him away. In Azamgarh and Jaunpur when people protested
and asked for their whereabouts, the Police told them that they are
making efforts to find these two people. Chaudhury Chandra Pal
Singh who was linked to a Political party claimed that if Tariq was
not found by 21st, he would burn himself on the spot that Tariq was
picked up. On 21st, the Police showed him Tariq Azmi and Khalid
Mujahir in Barabanki and was told that they were caught with RDX
and many other weapons. In such a shameless manner they were picked
up, that the Police initially made statements promising to 'find'
them out and later label them asterrorists. Apart from this it is
important to understand the political dynamics behind these
activities. In Azamgarh Mr Rajeev Yadav's brother was picked up
because he was in PUCL and raised questions on behalf of Muslims.
He was asked why he was speaking for Muslims when he was a Hindu.
He and his friend were tortured in a house which previously
belonged to a UP Mafia person Mr Shiv Prakash Shukla and is
officially seized. They were informed that they were not the only
people to be tortured here many others have also been tortured here
and statements were made here after the torture. Apart from this in
Azamgarh Police and ATF use vehicles without number plates and
people are now mentally prepared that they also will be eventually
picked up in this manner. This is not a sudden development but is a
pre-planned progression. In areas like Azamgarh the BJP has
suddenly started winningtheelections. Another common facet of the
incidents described by the participants are the way in which random
people are picked up and accused of targeting to kill prominent
political figures like Narendra Modi and Mayawati. In UP several
people have been picked up for allegedly planning to kill Rahul
Gandhi and Mayawati in different instances. It was shown that they
were coming to kill Rahul Gandhi in a very run down second hand car
which probably will not run. Later they stated that they caught the
accused through surveillance of their mobile phone. On being asked
about why the mobile phone was not shown they stated that they did
not have a mobile phone with them. Aftab who was picked up by the
Police was allegedly carrying 2500 kilograms of RDX. The weight of
the amount of RDX cannot be carried a single person. There are many
such contradictions and loopholes in the statements made by the
Police. Lawyers fighting for these people are also picked up and
beaten for fightingforMuslims. ShafiqMahajir,Hyderabad On 18th May
2007, at 1:43 pm. a bomb blew up in Mecca Masjid. Thereafter a
police firing occurred where five people died officially and
unofficially seven died and many were injured. The police version
was that after the blast, the crowd became violent. A violent crowd
had to be controlled and that the mob was not allowing ambulances
to reach the injured people and taking them to the
hospital.ThemobwasnotallowingthedogsquadtoentertheMasjidtolocatepossibleotherbombs
andthereforeforcehadtobeused.ThePoliceversionalsostatedthattherewasapetrolpumpabout
150 yard away where the mob killedthe policemanon duty and triedto
burn the petrol pump whose
tankscontained17000litresofinflammablefuelandthereforefiringwasdonetocontrolthemob.
31
28. On the other hand in reality the people in the Masjid were
shocked by the bomb just after their namaz and were not the least
violent. The large police force arrived in an organised manner in
spite of lack of any violence from the people. All responsible
police officers decline any responsibility.
Somephotosshowjoyandenjoymentinthepoliceofficers'facesastheyareattackingthecrowd.
Some witnesses produced by the police, on interrogation their
testimonies were withdrawn. No intention to know true facts is
shown. Inspector Sudhakar had filed the FIR. His affidavit doesn't
match with other video evidence, on being questioned he admitted
following the advice of the ACP. Ramchandra Reddy had supposedly
gone and rescued Inspector Sudhakar from the petrol pump. A third
Inspector Anantha Reddy was given the job to investigate the firing
done by these two policemen. He said on record that he went to the
site only once and that the rest of the investigation was done in
his room. And all three affidavits of these police men are exactly
identical even in all the grammatical nuances and individual words.
The only difference is that on the end of Sudhakar Reddy's
affidavit it says that after this he went and filed an FIR. The
petrol pump attendants refused
tobecrossexaminedwhentheygavetheiraffidavits. There were barricades
put up by the police in a certain road according to the DCP so as
not to allow
thecrowdtomoveinthatdirectionwhereitisstatedjewelleryshopsownedbyHinduswerelocated.
The intention was not to maintain law and order but to specifically
protect Hindus. This is not a secular police force. The location of
the bodies near the petrol pump proves that the people were not
intending to either kill the Police officers or to set the petrol
pump ablaze. This is another
exampleoffabricationoffalseevidencewhichispunishablewithsevenyearsofimprisonment.
Syed Sujat Ali, the first constable who revealed that when the
police had fired there was a difference of 100 feet between the
crowd and the police. After this the Police Council withdrew from
the Commission and a second Council was appointed. The Additional
DIG Sandeep Sandiliya's affidavit said that a Muslim political
party had two meetings 5 months and 11 months ago where the police
wasabusedandconcludedthefiringwasnecessary. ACP Redanna claims that
he had gone to the mosque and secured the area. The petrol pump
attendantscanbeseenfabricatingevidenceintheeveningafterthecurfewhasbeensetinthescene
ofoffencewhichhasbeenapparentlysecuredbyACPRedannaintheavailablephotoevidence.They
were obviously abetted by the Police. Even after such evidence if
the Government doesn't take
actionthentheGovernmentalsobecomesandanabetter. As the legal
advisor of AP State Minorities Commission I came to know that boys
from minority community were being tortured after being arrested in
suspicion for the twin blasts in Gokulchaat and Lumbini Park. Since
there was no evidence of this the Minority Commission advocate
commissioner L Ravichander and renowned Forensic experts Dr
Mahender Reddy were sent to Chernapalli Jail. It became known that
the boys were being tortured under police custody. When they were
sent on remand, despite the directions of the Supreme Court, their
injuries were not
recordedbytheJudicialOfficers.OngoingtotheJailtheJailorsrecordedthattheyarrivedwiththese
32
29. injuries. The boys state that they were not ill-treated in
the Jail. The Forensic Expert has proven with the measurement of
the scar tissues the dates on which they were tortured which was
during the police custody. The Government instead of taking action
immediately withdrew the Minority Commission's Support Staff. After
this the NHRC observed that they were kept in the ISI block which
is for Pakistani Intelligence. Eventually the Police Commissioner
of Hyderabad Balwinder Singh wrote a letter to the Minorities
Commission on 9th January 2008 that after their investigation they
did not obtain any evidence against these boys' involvement in the
blasts. Who will compensate
theseboyswhoweretorturedandimprisonedfor8months? They were
allegedly arrested for posessing Jihadi Literature. A suit was
filed for compensation for these boys which was denied by the State
that these people are themselves neck-deep in criminal
activities.Afterthiswhenafewboyswerepersuadedandregisteredtheirpetition,afterhalfanhour
oftheregistrationofthis,theJudgereceivedaTransferOrder.
TherulesofevidencehavebeenreversedbytryingtoimposePOTAandothersuchlaws.
Inspector P Sudhakar, the inspector who claims that the pump was
shot to be set fire to, the inspector who says that the lives of
policemen were in danger, the lives of pump attendants were in
dangeranditwastoprotectthemthathehadtoresorttofiring.Thisinspectorsaysthat6pmhefiled
the FIR and what did he say in the FIR. He spoke to the ACP and the
ACP said his words 'aisa aisa likhe to achha rehta to main waisa
likha'. Those are his words. Then what did he do, he and his men
hid in the lane leading to the toilet for 30 minutes. How many
seconds does it need to set fire to a pump. A pump where 17000
litres of petrol is there and the crowd is all over the place and
the pump
attendantsareinthreatoftheirlives,howmanysecondsdoesittake.Thepoliceman'sversionisthat
they hid inside the pump and the attendants were inside the cabin.
How many seconds does it take to lynch the attendants of the pump
if the crowd is militant, aggressive and according to the police
'policewalon ko maar dalon, pump ko jala dalo, pump walon ko maar
dalo', these were the slogans according to the police affidavits
but the police evidence does not say so. The police evidence says
in cross-examination what were they shouting, they were shouting
slogans. What slogans were they
shouting,theyweresayingallahuakbar.ThestatementofPSudhakarinhisFIRistherewere200-300
people. Later in his affidavit, the crowd becomes 600-1000. This is
the Mughalpura Kaman, according to the police the firing was done
at the petrol pump to save life. Please see the videos, please see
the dynamics of these images, you will find that the police walked
through the streets firing into the crowd using self-loading
rifles. Charminar, Macca Masjid where the blast took place, Machli
Kaman, jewellery shops of Hindus, barricade so that the crowd does
not go there. The crowd was prevented from escaping. This is a lane
leading to Khilwat, there was firing here. This lane was blocked.
Inspector Kishtaya is on record, we clocked that road, why, there
is a Hindu deity installed there, there are Hindu houses there.
Blast, bus station, this is the place where the bodies according to
them fired. The distance between this point and this point is 200
ft. 200ft away the bodies fell and
thepolicesaythatwefiredatthepump.OntheleftsideyouwillfindtheroadleadingtoMughalpura
fire station blocked by ACP Ashok Kumar and his team, why, because
there are Hindu temples there
andHinduhousesthere.ThisroadleadingfurtherdownleadstoHaribaolicrossroads,blocked,why,
33
30. the police say we were apprehensive that the crowd wanted
to set fire and loot the Hindu houses
theresoweblockedthemfromgoingthere.Thecrowdisblocked.Wheredoesthecrowdgo?Where
does the crowd go when you fire tear gas shells into them? If under
section 99 of the IPC they exercise the right of private defence
throwing back stones at the police which is firing at them how is
thatanoffence?Busstand,busescomingout,thelengthofonebussuperimposedmeasureit,200ft
away the bodies fall. In one case unconnected with this, this is a
question posed by the high court, please see how the question is
framed, all those with the judicial background, whether the failure
of the commission to recognize the Muslim collective in the state
as a heterogeneous social class, the failure to exclude those
insular classes of Muslims already recognized, the failure to
collect data, the
failuretoformulatecriterionandthefailuretoapplyrelevantevolvedcriteriarenderstheexerciseby
the commission irrational, perverse and invalid. When you start
with the premise failure, failure, failure, do you come to the
conclusion that notwithstanding that the exercise is valid. The
high court says about reservation never in the history of India has
membership been so easy an entry into reservation. The high court
forgets the judgment of the supreme court extracted with the bottom
you cannot get the benefits of reservation by conversion. Hussain
Sagar does not exist. Now it is NTR Garden, Lumbini Park, PVR Ghat,
NTR Ghat, Buddha Statue, Jal Vihar. Chiran Palace does not exist,
it is Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park, Banjara Garden does not
exist, now it is Jalagam Vengal Rao Park, Mausamjahi market does
not exist, now it is Vinayak Chowk, Fateh Maidan does not exist,
now it is Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, bit by bit every single Urdu
word, every single indication of a Muslim cultural heritage is
being obliterated. Why? Witness Constable Sayyed Shujat Ali on duty
at the pump, what does he say? 100 ft distance between crowd and
police at pump when firing took place. It is mpossible to kill
policemen or burn the pump from that distance. No iron rods with
the crowd. Where is the attempt to murder? This gets more
interesting. Commissioner Balwinder Singh says jehad is holy war,
war is always violent. Coming to the point of jehad, what is jehad?
Jehad is the exhortation in the Holy Quran asking Muslims to strive
to righteousness. That some people have construed means go to war,
kill infidels and so and so forth which is utter rubbish but we
don't need to go into that. The point is that what Ravi Chander was
talking about what those boys are alleged with, 25th January 2008
commissioner of police writes to minority commission no evidence
has been found linking these boys with the blast. However they have
been found to be processing jehadi literature. So we said excuse me
what is this processing? Before the commission of inquiry they
modify it to say possessing. So I said brilliant, all right
possessing, where does this concept of righteousness come from for
God's sake? It comes from the Quran, the Quran is there in my
house, it is there in every Muslim household, go arrest every
Muslim. Then I quoted the Gita where lord Krishna is talking to
Arjuna, he says fight the righteous for those who fight the
righteous go to heaven, if you die in the process and if you win
the benefits of this are with you. Jehad, all Hindus are jehadis,
go arrest them. I found this in the Guru Granth Sahib, I found this
in the Biblical teachings leading to the crusade. Does the police
know whether they are coming or going? Inspector Kishtaya who
blocked people from going into Panch Mohalla lane because there is
a Hindu deity installed there. Firing was done ten feet behind him,
he says he is unaware of it. Additional DIG Sandip Sandilya comes
on record and files an affidavit of three paragraphs. The first
paragraph says that 11 34
31. months earlier MIM held a meeting in the old city in which
policemen were abused. Second
paragraphsays6monthsearlierMIMheldameetingintheoldcityinwhichpolicemenwereabused.
Thirdparagraphsayson19thIwasonduty,nothingabout18th.SoIsaiddoyouknowwhattheterms
of reference of the commissions are. He says yes. So then do you
mean to say that 11 months earlier and 6 months earlier police had
been abused by these people and therefore we resorted to firing?
People were helping shot people to safety, these people were shot,
one of them died, when do you use 46 CrPC, what is the offence been
committed here, if this is not brutal murder what is it? If you
recall the shot that is showed, where the policeman in helmet is
holding the pistol high, please hold
heisinmufti,youdon'tevenknowwhethertheyarecops.Manwasshot,hedied,howdareyouhelp
somebody whom we have shot? Ramachandra Reddy is the inspector who
is supposed to have gone and rescued Sudhakar after he was holed up
in 30 minutes. Reddy, Sudhakar and one enquiry officer called
Anantha Reddy have filed three affidavits. And these three
affidavits are verbatim lifts of each other. Not a single word has
changed. I went to the extent of keeping Ramachandra Reddy in the
witness box giving his Lordship Justice Bhaskar Rao the affidavit
of another person and I read it out and his lordship followed it
word for word, if this is not, remember two people who did the
firing at the pump I can understand if there is a similarity in
their affidavits but the person who enquired into their conduct
files the same affidavit. If this is not fabrication established
what is it? Witness Hari
Babu,whiletheforensicwitnesseswerecalledandsentawayafterIfiledapetitiontoexaminethem,
they were called again. The commission found it necessary to ask
them at this stage if firing is done from outside the mosque
through the grill using high velocity rifle can a bullet ricochet
and hit somebody, did you see a wound like that, the answer was no
we did not. But the point is why did the commission find it
necessary not having asked this question on the earlier round of
cross examination, asking it now because these visuals that were
shown, the videos dynamic images that were shown were convincing
enough for the commission to come to a conclusion that such firing
wasinfactresortedto.ACPRedannasayssecuredthesceneofoffenceatthepetrolpumpwherethe
fire was sought to be lit. Secured the scene of offence, not let us
see how the scene of offence is secured. This is the image of the
petrol pump. Please see the nozzles of the petrol pump in place.
All the delivery systems have the nozzles in place. The police
panchanama says the police scene of offence record says that that
nozzle is found on the ground in the grass lit,fire was there.
Nowplease watch the images. All the nozzles in place. It is about
4.30 pm after the crowd has been dispersed.
Nowwatchtheattendantofthepump,hecomesandremovesthenozzlesaftertheACPsaysthatwe
had secured the scene of offence. What more brazen fabrication of
evidence can you get? These are the persons who came and gave
evidence in front of the police. I am compelled to recall what
Shrikrishna Report says that the people who gave evidence in favour
of the police were the prostitutes of the locality who are
dependent on the police for their trade. This is the grass which
the inspector Ramachandra Reddy who comes and rescues Sudhakar says
for the first time he sees the grass in the cabin. This is the
grass that the panchnama finds next to the pump. Reddy deposing
says
thiswasthesceneofoffence,Ishowedhimastillphotographalso,thiswasthesceneofoffenceafter
the crowd had gone away. Please see where the nozzles are and
subsequently you will find in the panchnama that the nozzle was on
the ground. This is the person who called the politician using his
35
32. mobile and says: Anna saat ho gaye. This is the man who
from another part of the video can be identified also the police
has made no effort whatsoever to identify the gentleman to find out
who it was conducting a body count and to whom he was giving those
reports. Allaho akbar, what is this Allaho akbar. The police
evidence says that after 4500 people had gone away 500 people
remained inside they were shouting slogans. Subsequently they were
joined by many militant Muslim youth. My question was how do you
know they were militant? Did they have AK-47 ? No, so was it
written on their foreheads? Answer was no they were shouting
slogans. What slogans were they shoutingthey were saying Allaho
akbar. Therefore, question before the commissionbecause they were
shouting Allaho akbar you concluded that they were militants. The
universal declaration of human rights charter talks about how the
state has to provide effective remedy. What the state
doesisitputsprovisionsontheIPC,butitdoesnotimplementthoseprovisions.Aneffectiveremedy
means as two learned speakers were saying before methere should be
something more than just putting something on the statute book.
What must happenyou must have provisions that are self- operating.
For example, if I am a judge and I grant an injunction saying that
you shall build the wall again. My order should say build that wall
and report in 15-20 days. Why should somebody else be required to
file an EP before me? It is absolutely not necessary. So why can't
the state human rights commission say to the CB-CID, make the
report and come back to me within so many days with the report, if
you fail to do so I shall take you to task, but please with the
greatest respect to the honourable State Human Rights Commission I
must make a statement here. Somebody who was with me in the hearing
at Andhra State Human Rights Commission said Sir, a few days after
this incident there was firing on the communists, some people died,
your lordship took suo moto notice,
whydidyourlordshipsdidnottakesuomotonoticeinthismatter.Answerwasdon'tblameme.Iwas
out of the country on that day, I was in Malaysia or some such
place, I came back the following day. My question is if the
commission's Chairman is not in town does the commission come to a
halt, do human rights come to a halt? Assuming he was not here it
could still have been done the following day. Four months after the
State Minorities Commission gave its recommendations directing the
state to make a 24-hour helpline for minorities and how there
should be a system of incentives and disincentives for those who
were doing a secular job and not doing a secular job and system
should be self-operating. Four months later I was called by the
Secretary of the Andhra State Human Rights
CommissionwhosaidpleasegivemeacopyoftheStateMinoritiesCommissionreport.Isaidwhydo
you want that report? I have argued the matter before you, how come
your own record is not ready. His answer was to pat me on the back
and laugh and say Mahjir sahab ye government ka commission hai.
There is a lot to be said but there are time constraints. I will
just make two brief point which I request the honourable tribunal
members to hear carefully. There is a provisionin the amended CPC
now which says that if I seek an injunction against you then the
court has the power to impose a condition that before it grants an
injunction it will require me to place at your disposal security to
compensate the person against whom injunction is sought in case the
injunction is found to be unjustified. I am condensing it. Is it
not time that we had a provisionin the CrPC which says that if the
state lays a terror charge against a man and subsequently the
terror charge is found to be unjustified not resulted in an
acquittal, unjustified, should the state not compensate that man
for destruction 36
33. for academic career, destruction of employment, family
life, loss of reputation, social stigma, loss of health everything?
Remember that out of 78000 people charged under TADA 85% were
Muslim and the conviction rate was 0.2%. in one instance out of 223
people arrested 211 were discharged, discharged mean having not
enough evidence to even charge them in the first place. People were
in prison for one year, tortured etc and thrown out psychologically
warped. Second provision: the law of evidence has seen a change
with regard to evidence of rape. It is found impossible for a woman
to
getanindependentevidenceofrapesowhatthelawhasdoneisnowinsteadoftakingthecomplaint
ofthewomanasapieceofcorroborativeevidencethelawtakesthecomplaintofthewomanitselfas
primary
evidenceandsaysifthereisanycorroborativeevidencefoundthatshallbetakenasprimary
evidence and conviction should result. Is it not time that our
police is subjected to that kind of a
situationwhereifanybodyallegestortureagainstthepolicethisistheprovisionthatshouldbecome
operational and these things should automatically result. Mr. Ravi
Chander was being delicate about it. He did not cite the details of
the torture that was inflicted. Let me take 10 seconds: hung by the
wrist,anklebeatenbrutallyinonecasesuchthatthefleshcameout,electricshocksadministeredon
thenipples,indicationsofneedleentryonthenipple,indicationsofinjuryonthethighsandforearm,
abrasions showing brutal beating, electrical shock indications
around the nipples and behind the ear,etc. RajivYadav,U.P. I would
like to speak in the context of UP only that how the political
environment has been shaped in regard to the issue of terrorism and
the role played by the media and the political parties. After the
year2000,majorityoftheterroristactivitiesthattookplaceintheentirecountryhavebeenlinkedto
UP in one or the other way. In the past one year, it has become
common practice that before the Lok Sabha elections an arrest drive
is initiated and Muslims are arrested in the name of combating
terrorism. 40 people have been arrested allegedly for being ISI
agents in one year from UP. In Azamgarh eighteen people were
arrested out of which it was claimed that eleven have absconded
andtwohavebeenkilledinencounterswhilesomehaverecentlybeenreleased.
In October 2007, two people were arrested for allegedly trying to
attack Rahul Gandhi. After this the bomb blasts took place in the
court complex of Faizabad and later on 30th December, 2007 two
Kashmiris were killed in encounter for allegedly trying to kill
Mayawati. After this the State Government requested the Central
Government for SPG security and two people were killed in the name
of same SPG security. When the Central Government enquired about
who these two people were, there had not been sent any reply till
date from the State Government. The pattern of staging encounters
and random picking up of people from minority communities have
slowly adapted a pattern similar to that which emerged in Gujarat
after the carnage in 2002. The PUCL has recently
issuedareportwhichstatesthatUPisnowfollowingthefootstepsofGujarat.
Azamgarh has almost replaced Pakistan as the new source of
terrorists in the eyes of the media and the public. It is also
linked to Abu Salem. Since the murder of Gulshan Kumar, Hindutva
forces have slowly spread their tentacles in Azamgarh with the
simultaneous growth of terrorism chapter in 37
34. Azamgarh. Gulshan Kumar's murder has been misrepresented as
an attack on Hindu Community by theMuslims. There had been
precipitating factors for the emerging conflicts between these two
religious communities in UP. Today it is not that easy to organise
or instigate communal riots due to growing awareness in the public
regarding communal riots. Therefore, state funded terrorism has
been ensued in the entire province of UP. I have many instances to
prove this. In Rampur, firing at CRPF camp was not a terrorist
activity, but the CRPF men died after drinking alcohol and firing
amongst eachother,yetitwasgiventhatovertone.
AzamgarhhasbeenspecificallychosenbecauseitsproximitytoAyodhya.Ithasalsobeenaffectedby
economic factors. Azamgarh was gradually becoming more prosperous,
and from that, Hindu fundamentalists concocted the connections
between the Muslim community of Azamgarh and Taliban forces which
were further blown out of proportion by the media. The media here
had been purposely sullying Azamgarh's name. Several Human Rights
violations have been caused by such labelling of Azamgarh. Phones
are tapped illegally. Many people are missing but those missing go
unreported. Many are languishing in jails and every individual has
been slapped with many
unsubstantiatedallegations.Noindividualcouldeverfightthoseallegationsinhislifetime.
We are trying to prepare monthly reports on the situation of
Azamgarh and would try to monitor media reporting on the National
level. The Purvanchal area is following the steps of Savarkar and
Hegdewar. In 2007 Nepal suffered two blasts planted by Hindu
Fundamentalist forces. And it is havingimpactdirectlyonIndia.
YusufSheikh,Baroda I think you will be familiar with the Gujarat
2002 carnage. So I don't have to tell you more about it. Post 2002
carnage when I went to different places I found the strategy of
communal forces had been changing everywhere. They started communal
violence from the small villages or small town. The modus operandi
of targeting Muslims now is like attacking in the name of repairing
the Masjid, by illegal occupation on the land of cemetery or in the
name of cow-slaughter or even on helping those
innocentswhoarebeingvictimisedorbytroubling
whilegettingthempassportsissued. Latest example I am going to give
you is of Baroda. In Baroda on 1st September, 2009 five persons
were picked up, kept in illegal confinement and tortured. Earlier,
forty-eight people were picked up by the police, claiming that they
are doing so as to ensure safety during Ganesh Chaturthi. After the
festival, those five never returned home while others were let
free. Parents have not been allowed to meet at a close distance.
However the available information is that, they were taken to a
private farm house where they were brutally tortured by the cops.
The timings of these arrests are interesting to note, since it was
planned before the Gujarat bye election. A case of keeping rocket
launcherandotherdeadlyweaponstotargettheVVIPshasbeenframedagainstthosefive.
Itclearly indicates towards sinister designs to let the BJP
Government led by Mr Modi in Gujarat to win the elections. These
newspaper cuttings of that particular news were distributed in the
election 38
35.
constituenciesandeventuallysixoutofsevenseatswerewonbyBJP.Theaccusedhadbeeninpolice
remandfortwelvedaysandwhenwereproducedbeforethecourtnoevidencewassubmitted.
Theparentswerefrightenedtotellorshareanythingabouttheincidenttoanyoneelse.Tremendous
pressurewasputonthembythePolicetokeepquite. In a case of bomb
blasts related to Ahmadabad city I was called three times by Baroda
SOG and was tortured in the cell but they could not succeed in
framing me for the blasts. Since, I received timely help from my
friends, cops could not arrest me. I suggest that it is imperative
to maintain, develop
andco-ordinateallianceswiththesecularpeopletofightoutthosekindofmenaceofstate.
DanishQureshi,Gujarat I am grateful that the victims are being
given an opportunity to voice their experience and hopes. I am from
Ahmadabad where incidents are created before every election as were
seen in Godhra and during Gujarat Carnage. They have now decided to
target specific communities like educated youth. Many people have
been killed and others were jailed under POTA. The names of
masterminds in the blast have been changed repeatedly and near
about eighty people have been detained illegally and tortured. Of
those twenty two people were finally charged. Those who were
released even now have to give their location to the ATS every few
days and eyes are kept on them if they are in contact
withtheNHRCorNGO.
Theyknowandarevaryofwhatwillhappeniftheiractivitiesarerevealed.Theirfamiliesareaskedto
reportatthepolicestationandareunabletoengageintheirdailyactivities.
One accused named Omar Ashok Kada who has got converted to Islam
from Hindu. He has been accused of conversion and is being asked to
reconvert to Hinduism by Police Inspector Mr Tarun Barod. Omar
Ashok Kada is a sweeper in Ahmadabad Cooperation and has no history
of criminal activities. Since he was in a government job and could
not be expelled therefore first he was suspended which tantamount
to reduction of 50% in his salary. He was released after 3 months.
The next day he was asked to report to the ATS and was arrested.
Isn't it strange that in Gujarat the
terroristreporttothePoliceandtheATSoutoftheirownvolition? The
Police are not able to catch a chain-snatchers and robbers but
cl